Sen. Cornyn: Time for ‘Reflection and Recalibration’ in GOP

Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, says it’s time for the party to do some soul-searching after losing the presidency and its bid to gain control of the Senate Tuesday.

“We had many hard-fought races, and I’m proud to welcome several new Republicans to the Senate, particularly my fellow Texan Ted Cruz. But it’s clear that with our losses in the presidential race, and a number of key Senate races, we have a period of reflection and recalibration ahead for the Republican Party” he said in a statement Wednesday, according to Politico.

“While some will want to blame one wing of the party over the other, the reality is candidates from all corners of our GOP lost tonight. Clearly we have work to do in the weeks and months ahead,” he said.

President Barack Obama either beat Republican Mitt Romney 303 electoral votes to 235 or 332 to 206, depending which way Florida goes. Meanwhile, Democrats are assured of a majority in the Senate.

Still, now isn’t the time to abandon conservative principles, Cornyn says. “We know that our conservative vision is the right one to secure a stronger America for future generations. We know that we are the party of big, bold ideas with the courage to fight for what’s right even if it’s not politically expedient.”

And those ideas served Republicans well in the 2010 elections, Cornyn notes. Democrats would do well to keep in mind the limited nature of their victory this time around, he says. “While the Democrats had a good night, they should not over-read their mandate as reflected by the almost evenly-divided popular vote. It’s important to observe that nothing that happened tonight changes the very serious challenges confronting our country.”

Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, says it’s time for the party to do some soul-searching after losing the presidency and its bid to gain control of the Senate Tuesday.